2026-02-15 07:38:08Everyone in the Woods family mansion had left for work before Chris lazily opened his eyes.
He reached for his phone to check the time but froze in the process. A notification had just popped up, one that practically yanked him out of bed. It was a message from his investor.
“I’m ready to move forward. Let’s talk better in person. Let’s meet by 1 P.M today at Louis Café.”
His breath caught.
“Whoo-hoo!”
The sound echoed before he could even stop it.
He jumped out of the bed hoping to share the news.
But as he stepped out, he saw that everyone had left.
He sighed, glanced at the list of chores he’d been given before they left.
“Laundry first,” he muttered. “Then kitchen… then…. Ugh… dusting?”
He grabbed a broom and swept the living room.
The moment he was done, he slipped into a crisp shirt, a neat pair of pants,
polished his shoes, and dashed out the door.
When he arrived, Mr. Lacoster, his investor, was already waiting.
“Hi, Sir. I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting.” Chris said, sliding into the chair
across from him.
Mr. Lacoster smiled warmly. “It’s alright, Chris. I just got here a few minutes ago.”
He leaned back slightly, then added, “I must confess, the app is a brilliant idea.
My company will definitely fund it and bring it to life for people to use.”
Chris’s face lit up with relief and gratitude. “I’m so thankful, Mr. Lacoster. Thank
you for believing in me and in my app. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”
Mr. Lacoster chuckled softly, “You’d better not.”
He reached for a folder and pulled out the contract. After signing it himself, he slid
it across the table.
“Sign here.” He said, pointing to the designated spot.
Chris’s hands shook slightly as he signed. When he read the draft, he could hardly
believe his eyes. The man was giving him over 5 million dollars in funding.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Chris.” Mr. Lacoster said, standing.
“I’ll see you soon at the company. And don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”
Chris rose as well, trying to steady his voice. “No… thank you, Mr. Lacoster for
this incredible opportunity.”
…
Charlotte’s office smelled faintly of coffee and paper. Nothing unusual except that Fabio had come to discuss an important business deal with the Woods family.
Veronica sat elegantly in the chair opposite Charlotte, arms folded, listening, Fabio taking the seat next to her.
“This business deal will be yours Charlotte. Only if you promise to be mine.” Fabio said with a smirk on his face.
Veronica looked at Charlotte with a smile, then faced him, “That shouldn’t be a problem, Fabio. Chris is a good for nothing husband. Letting him go is the best decision Charlotte can ever make for this family. Right, Charlotte?”
Charlotte nodded with a smile
“He is just a nobody, Fabio. I was going to divorce him even without you saying it. I was looking for an opportunity but now, this is the best time to do it.” Charlotte said with pride.
“You are right, Charlotte. He probably would have stopped existing if you didn’t take him as your husband. He stays glued to you like a lapdog that won’t leave your side.” Veronica said as she laughed.
Then she faced Fabio, “But Fabio, are you sure once Charlotte divorces Chris, the deal will be ours?”
Fabio chuckled. “You might not know this, but we DeLuca always keep a promise. I promise you and your family that deal but Charlotte has to be mine.”
Charlotte and Veronica exchanged a knowing glance.
“Don’t worry, Fabio. It’s done” Veronica said, a sly smile playing on her lips.
“I guess I’m done here. For now. I’ll see you again Charlotte.” Fabio said as he stood up to take his leave.
“Yes, Fabio. We will get back to you.” Veronica said happily.
Fabio gave a big, flashy smile.
He left after kissing Charlotte on her cheeks.
Her cheeks flushed red.
Immediately he left, Charlotte spoke first, “Vee, I know you are excited about this whole deal thing. I am too, trust me. But how do we get Chris to divorce me? That man is a stubborn fool in love. He wouldn’t sign the papers unless it’s for a valid reason.”
Veronica sighed.
They both know that Chris would never sign those papers except he is being forced or for a genuine reason.
They had to come up with a plan.
Charlotte’s phone chimed. She glanced at the screen and scoffed.
“Come home early. I have a surprise for you.”
She hissed under her breath. “Unbelievable.”
“Who is it?” Veronica asked, barely looking up.
“Its chris,” Charlotte replied coldly. “He wants me to come home early.”
Veronica let out a short laugh. “Let me guess… one of his boring ideas?”
They both laughed.
An idea suddenly popped up in Veronica’s mind.
She snapped up from the chair and grinned.
“What is it?” Charlotte looked confused.
“I know how we can make Chris divorce you without stress.” Veronica said.
“Are you serious!?” Charlotte asked, her eyes widened.
Veronica gestured subtly for Charlotte to come closer. When Charlotte did, she leaned in and whispered something into her ear.
Charlotte blinked, caught off guard. For a moment she said nothing. Then a slow smile touched her lips “Stepmom… you’re a genius.”
Veronica smiled, satisfied. “You can say that again, baby girl.”
Charlotte grinned happily. She will finally get rid of her useless husband.
Without another word, they exchanged a look and walked out, already headed back to the mansion.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 250
The heavy iron gates of the main Mikaelson estate slid shut, sealing out the rest of Arcadia City. Inside the sprawling private grounds, the usual oppressive silence had completely dissolved. Tonight, the fortress was alive with an uncharacteristic, vibrant warmth.To personally celebrate the total neutralization of the Gordon threat and the safety of his fiancée, Chris had ordered the estate staff to prepare a massive, open-air feast within the grand stone courtyard. He hadn't restricted the celebration to elite corporate executives or high-ranking family directors. Instead, long wooden tables stretched across the manicured lawns, illuminated by the flickering amber glow of massive iron fire pits and string lights woven through the ancient oak trees. Every single personal security guard, driver, perimeter watchman, and front-line mercenary on both the Mikaelson and Greene Global payrolls had a seat at the tables.The crisp night air of Arcadia City was thick with the rich, mouth-wate
Chapter 249
A profound, revitalizing silence settled over Onyx Harbor. With the Zenith High Council completely dismantled and their corrupt grip broken, the blackouts that had plagued the commercial districts ceased overnight. The municipal power grid stabilized, surging with a clean, uninterrupted current. It was as if a suffocating, heavy weight had been lifted from the chest of the entire city. For months, the population had lived under the shadow of corporate extortion. Now, small businesses reopened their doors, the neon signs of the entertainment sectors burned steady into the dawn, and the streets hummed with a newfound, peaceful energy. The fear that had defined Zenith's reign was evaporating, replaced by the realization that a new era had begun.High above the bustling streets, insulated from the city’s ambient noise by triple-paned reinforced glass, Chris Greene sat in his executive office at the top of the Greene Global tower. The room was dark save for the ambient glow of the city bel
Chapter 248
Gordon finally turned around and walked toward them. When he was in front of her, His knees buckled under the sudden, crushing weight of total defeat, and he sank onto the cold ground next to his bleeding, groaning son. He stared up at her, his face turning pale, his lips trembling as his thirty-year empire dissolved into pure dust before his eyes. "You... you violated the terms. We gave you the girl...""I don't negotiate the survival of the Mikaelson name with bankrupt criminals," Lynda whispered. She turned her head toward her commanders. "Throw them both in the back of the transport vans. Take them directly to the subterranean cells of the Mikaelson estate. They are going to face a very long, very thorough trial for corporate espionage and kidnapping."As the doors of the vans slammed shut on the bound, humiliated Gordons, Lynda turned back to Michelle, her expression softening. "The threat is neutralized, Lady Michelle. The Gordons are erased. Let us get you home.”Meanwhile I
Chapter 247
He turned his attention back to Lynda. "Here are our terms for the trade, Lynda. We hand over Michelle Antonio right now, entirely unharmed. In exchange, you grant my son and me a twelve-hour operational window of total immunity. You pull back your shadow blockades from the western docks, you let our private transport jet leave the regional airspace, and you guarantee that your tactical cells will not pursue us into our South American territories. If you refuse, or if a single sniper fires a round, my son will pull the trigger on the girl, and we will all die together in this clearing. Decide. Right now."Lynda stood perfectly still for several long, agonizing seconds. The heavy silence in the shipping yard was thick enough to choke on. She looked past Gordon, her eyes locking onto Michelle.Michelle gave a single, slow, and deliberate nod of her head. She understood the chess board perfectly. She knew that survival in this moment was the only priority, because once she was safe, the
Chapter 246
"How are you such a completely useless son?" the patriarch spat, his voice dropping into a hateful tone that cut deeper than any physical blow. "How on earth did I raise such a parasite? You aren't even an asset to this family—you are a cancer that just destroyed thirty years of my labor in a single night!"Michelle stood near the doorway, flanked by the two mercenaries. Even with her hands bound, her expression was one of pure amusement. She watched the breakdown of the Gordon dynasty with cold satisfaction. Levitt wiped the blood from his mouth, a spark of defensive, desperate anger flaring in his eyes as he scrambled to his feet. "Dad! Insulting me doesn't solve anything right now! The fact is, the Antonio girl is here! She’s standing right in front of us! Instead of screaming at me, how do we use her to get ourselves out of this mess?"The entitlement in Levitt’s voice, the total failure to grasp the sheer gravity of the apocalypse he had invited into their home was the final st
Chapter 245
"Help me lift her!" Levitt gasped to the last remaining mercenary, his voice cracking with pure terror. Together, they roughly dragged Michelle's limp body out of the back of the crippled van and threw her into the rear of a small, nondescript utility truck that had been parked inside the warehouse as a final emergency escape vehicle."I'll hold them off, sir! Get out of here!" the mercenary yelled, turning back toward the main warehouse floor with his weapon raised.Levitt didn't look back. He jumped into the driver's seat of the utility truck, slammed it into gear, and smashed through a rotted wooden loading dock door that led out into a deep, unlit concrete drainage canal behind the industrial park. He accelerated into the darkness just as a team of Mikaelson shadow soldiers blew the inner doors off the loading dock.When Lynda's commanders reached the platform, the area was empty. They found the bodies of the mercenaries, the abandoned black van, and the tracks of an escaping vehi
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